Ramblings of an Emergency Physician in Texas

Tim Russert cause of death: MI wokv.com: News

wokv.com: News
NBC said Friday evening that Russert died of a heart attack. Russert’s internist, Michael A. Newman, said cholesterol plaque had ruptured in an artery, causing sudden coronary thrombosis.

Newman said an autopsy showed that Russert had an enlarged heart, NBC reported. Russert had been diagnosed with asymptomatic coronary artery disease, which he was controlling with medication and exercise, the doctor said.

He’s already had an autopsy? That was fast.

A video of his doctor speaking about his asymptomatic cardiac disease. Says the autopsy ruled out a PE.

Comments

There is indeed a test that can detect rupture prone plaque. Not many physicians know about it. It is called the PLAC test or otherwise known as the LP-PLA2 test. I would bet that his PLAC score was elevated and his internist just didn’t know to order it. Less than 5% of docs know about it. Too bad for Tim Russert.

In 1990, I published research on sudden cardiac death following long distance travel in the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 11(2):106-111, 1990. Visitors to Kauai had evidence of coronary arteriosclerosis, enlarged hearts (>50%), and sudden cardiac death. I attributed this “syndrome” to extensive travel across multiple time zones. I fear Mr. Russert’s death fit this series of findings all too similarly.